Sheet deflector



Sept. 29, 1931. L. R. TuFTs ET AL SHEET DEFLECTOR original Filed July le. 192e` IIN/enfers` Les/.ry Turrs, Hunxfw OLSON.

Patented Sept. 29, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT.

LEsLEY E. TUETS, OE EAs'r CLEVELAND, AND ANDEEw OLSON, OE CLEVELAND, OHIO,

AssIGNOEs 'ro THEy CLEVELAND EOL-DING MACHINE COMPANY, or CLEVELAND,

OHIO, A CORPORATION OE OHIO SHEET DEFLECTOR Original application led July 16, 1928, Serial No. 293,278. Divided and this application led October 11,- 1929. Serial No. 399,012.

"The vprincipal, object yof our invention `isy thelprovision or asimple'and effective deiie'ctor mechanism forv directing successive sheets into different courses as the Sheets are fed from a folding machine or other paper handling machine.

AAnother object is the provision of means located in each of the courses taken "by the sheets, and adapted to be set in motion by the travel of the sheets themselves, for swinging or flipping the deflector, saidtwo means being preferably whereby thev actuationof one serves to set the other back into positionto be actuated.

A further Aobject Vis the provision of means for shifting or nipping the defleotor before therear edge of the sheet haspassed the forwardedge of the deflector, whereby the de? iiector is in position to properly direct the next vsucceeding sheet no matter how closely they are' spaced, and in fact even though no spacey at lall intervenes.` y y A further object is the provision ofan electric means for shifting the deflector, such means being controlled by the travel of the sheets themselves.

Other objects and features ofnovelty will appear as we proceed with the description of that embodiment of the invention which, for the purposes of the present application, we have Vshown in the accompanying drawings, in

which Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a fragf ment of a sheet'staclrer embodying the inf Vention, certain of the parts being broken interconnected away or Vshown in section in order to more' fullyV illustrate the invention.

F ig. 2 is a wiring diagram illustrating el'ec` trlcal connections which may be employed in carrying out the invention, and

Fig; 3 1s a fragmental, more or less dlagrammatic, sectionall view taken in ,a vertical may be delivered onto a fixedguide plate 26." The latter plate is vmounted in or supported"` by thev frame 22 of our stacker mechanism.l The 4stacker is preferably entirely separate from the folding` machine or other paper handling machine served thereby, thus permitting movement of the stacker out yof operative relationwith the folding machine or thelilre when the use of the stacker isnnot required. l/Vhen the stacker is put into operaf tive position, an idler gearl 231thereon is caused to mesh with a gear 1G fixed to the lower feed roll 14, and by this means driving power is transmitted to the stacker.

In the frame 22 there are mounted a pair of feed rolls 29,' 30 so positioned as to receive sheets of paper from the guide plate 26. These rolls are intergeared to turn` inv opposite directions, and are driven from the idler gear 23 which meshes with thegear on roll29.y l

Behind the rolls,` 29, BO-the frame 22 carries two further pairs of feed rolls 34', 36 and 38, 39, The rolls 3,6 and 38 are preferably allmetal rolls of the same diameter throughout, while rolls 34 and 39 comprise rubber surfacedl wheels 35 and 410 respectively spaced along the length of each roll. These wheels bear upon the rolls 36 and 38, or at Vany rateV upon the paper sheets fedvthereover. These rolls are positively driven in any suitable manner in the directions indicated by the arrows in Fig. 8, being intergeared so that their surface speeds are the saine, or substantially so.f In front of the rolls 36 and 38 wev mount a movable deflector or flipper 43 OFFICE provided with trunnions 44 which are pivotally supported in the side members of the frame 22. On the extremity of one of these trunnions, outside the frame, there is fixed an arm 94, by means of which the deflector may be shifted on its trunnions from the position illustrated in Figs. l and 2..to..that..

illustrated in Fig. 3, or vice versa.V

Means are provided for ipping the defiector from one position to the other, this means preferably comprising swinging shoes 45, 46 of identical form, the free ends of which extend into proximity with the surfaces of rolls 36- and 38Y respectively, so thatthey are adapted to be engaged by sheets of paper passing over the surfaces of those rolls. The

a proper adjustment is effected the screw 54- may be locked in place by a knurled lock nut 55. The spring 53 holds the lever 50 yieldably up against the set screw 54 and permits the spindle 47 to rise somewhat should the shoe 45 encounter an unusual thickness of paper.

The shoe 46 is inverted and attached to a .spindle 59 similar in every respect to the and an adjusting screw 65 carried by the bracket 63 in a manner exactly similar to that employed in connection with the lever 50.

On the outer end of the -spindle 59 there is a crank 66. The two cranks 58 and 66 are pivotally connected to a link 67 in which may be embodied means for varying somewhat the length of the link. By this connection it will be apparent that when the shoe 45, for example, swings toward the right, or from the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 to that indicated in Fig. 3, the shoe 46 will swing toward the left as illustrated in the same figures.

The swinging of the deflector 43 from one position to the other is accomplished by electrical means. To this end we mount upon the link 67 a block of insulation 80 upon which is carried a metal contact finger 81, to which is attached a flexible wire connection 82 leading from a current main 83. The linger 81 is adapted, when at. either extreme of its movement, to contact electrically with oneof the spring fingers 84 and 85. The finger 84 is connected by an electric conductor 86 with one end of the coil of an electro-magnet 87, while the linger 85 is connected by a conductor 88 with one end of the coil of a similar electro-magnet 89. The adjacent ends of the two coils are connected by a conductor 90. from which a conductor 91 leads to t-he other main 92. The coilsofithe two magnets 8.7.and 89 are arranged in alignment, and they have a common armature 93 which is loosely attached to the crank 94, previously mentioned, a pin and slot connection 95, as illustrated, being suitable for the purpose.

The particular means employed for collecting and stacking the sheets travelling in the two different courses may vary in practice, but we have illustrated herein one arrangement which is suitable for the purpose. It includes an upper endless conveyor 71 mounted at one end upon a roller 72, driveny at low speed by any suitable means. The arrangement referred to includes also a lower endless belt 74 extending transversely of the belt 71 and carried upon suitable rollers one of which, 75, is illustrated herein. This roller also is driven at low speed by suitable means, not shown. lVhen the deiiector 43 is in the position lllustrated in Fig. 1, sheets are fed from the rolls 29, 3()y over the deflector and through rolls 34, 36 onto the belt 71. Vhen the deiiector 43 is in the opposite position illustrated in Fig. 3, however, sheets are fed from the rolls 29, 30 under the deflector 43 and through rolls 38, 39 onto the lower belt 74 in a direction transverse to the length of the belt, and means may be provided for stopping their movement in the latter direction, the means herein illustrated for that purpose comprising a fence 79 carried by one or more rods 80 mounted in the frame of the machine.

Operation: Folded sheets moving single file through the feed rolls 14 of a folding machine or the like are directed by the guide plate 26 into the feed rolls 29, 30 of our sorting and stacking machine. Assuming that the deflector 43 is in the position illustrated in Fig. 1, the next sheet fed between rolls 29, 30 will strike the upper side of the deflector and will be directed thereby between the rolls 34 and 36, these rolls being driven as heretofore explained. sheet, passing between the hard surfaced roll 36 and the shoe 45, causes the latter to swing toward the right, that is from the position illustrated in Fig. 1 to that ilustrated in Fig; 3. The sheet continues its movement, and is delivered onto the belt 71.

The-swingingof shoe 45 to=the right raises crank 58 and with it link 67, which in turn raises crank 66 on the lower spindle 59, thereby swinging shoe 46to the left, that is from the position illustrated in Fig. 3 to that illustrated in Fig. 1. The shoe 46 is thus placed in position to be actuated by the next sheet travelling that course.

The front edge of the y At the same.-

time .the linger 81 breaks Contact with finger naamwt 34 and makes contact with linger 85. Thereupon magnet coil 87 is deenergized and coil 89 is energized, pulling armature 93 downward and operating thereby through pin and slot connection 95 to swing arm 94 downward and throw defiector 43 from the position of Figs. l and 2 to that of Fig. 8.

The neXt succeeding sheet delivered from the feed rolls 29, 30 strikes the lower side of deector 43 and is directed downwardly between rolls 38 and 39. The travel of the forward edge of this sheet through these rolls causes the shoe 46 to swing toward the right from the position illustrated in Fig. 3 to that illustrated in Fig. l. The sheet continues its travel and drops onto the belt 74. The swinging of the shoe 46 to the yright acts through cranks 66 and 58 and link 67 to swingshoe 45 back again into the position of Fig. l, in other words sets it for actuation by the next sheet travelling over the upper course. Thus the movement of one shoe is alwaystransmitted to the other shoe in order to set the later for the next operation. j

Successive sheets delivered from the folding machine are thus directed in different courses onto the upper and lower belts 7l and 74 respectively. Thus where two different pamphlets or signatures are printed upon a single sheet and are cut apart and folded the present sorting and stacking machine, all of the pamphlets or signatures of one kind are caused to travel in one course onto the upper belt 7l and all of the other kind are caused to travel in the other course onto the lower belt 74. The belts 71 and 74 are of the slow moving type employed in staclrers and their functions and mode of operation are well known in the art. While we have shown one of them arranged transversely to the other, such an arrangement is not at all essential, as they may both run in the same direction if desired.

While in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings we have disclosed the invention somewhat in detail, we desire it to be understood that such detail disclosure is primarily for the purpose of fully illustrating the invention, and is not to be construed as limiting the scope thereof.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

l. In a paper handling machine, means for causing sheets to travel single file in a given path, a deflector for directing sheets from said path to either of two courses, electrical means for shifting said defiector from one position to the other, and means actuated by the travel ofthe sheets themselves for controlling said electrical means.

2. In a paper handling machine, means for causing sheets to travel single file in a given path, a deflector for directing sheets from said path to either of two courses, electrical means for shifting said defleetor from one position to the other, and means located in each of said courses and adapted to be actuated by the travel of the sheets in that course for controlling said electrical means to shift the deliector so as to direct a succeeding sheet into the other course.

3. In a paper handling machine, means for causing sheets to travel single file in a given path, a deflector for directingr sheets from said path into either of two different courses, electrical means for shifting said deflector to direct sheets into one of said courses and for shifting the deflector to direct sheets into the other of said courses, electrical circuits for delivering current to operate said means for shifting the deflector in opposite directions comprising switch means, and means for operating said switch means comprising elements located in said courses and adapted to be actuated by the travel of the sheets therein.

4. In a paper handling machine, means for causing sheets to travel single le in a given path, a deflector fo-r directing sheets from said path to either of two courses, electrical means for shifting said deflector from one position to the other, and means actuated by the travel of the forward portions of the sheets themselves for controlling said elegtrical means. on the folding machine and transmitted to 5. In a paper handling machine, means for causing sheets to travel single file in a given path, a deflector for directing sheets from said path to either of two courses, electrical means for shifting said deflector from one position to the other, and means actuated by the travel of the sheets themselves for operating said electrical means to cause successive sheet-s to travel alternately in different courses.

6. In a paper handling machine, means for causing sheets to travel single file in a given path, a defiector for directing sheets from said path into either of two different courses, electrical means for shifting said defleetor to direct sheets into one of said courses and for shifting the deflector to direct sheets into the other of said courses, electrical circuits for delivering current to operate said means for shifting the deflector in opposite direetions comprising a double acting switch, elements located in said courses and adapted to be actuated by the travel of the sheets therein, a mechanical interconnection between said elements, and means carried by said interconnection for operating said switch.

In testimony whereof, we hereunto aix our signatures.

LESLEY It. TUFTS. ANDREW OLSON. 

